It’s been a big few weeks for the 13 cyclists making up the Great Britain Transplant Cycling team. We are off to Durban, South Africa on 26th July as part of the larger UK team to compete in the 19th World Transplant Games , an event described as the Olympics for athletes who have had a life supporting organ transplant. The cycling team consists of six women and seven men between the ages of 17 and 62 and comprises a smorgasbord of transplants, namely 1 heart, 1 bone marrow, 4 livers and 7 kidneys. Frankly, without a transplant and immunosuppressant therapy to stop us from rejecting, none of us would be alive, let alone able to race bikes. This year, the team is being sponsored and supported by Pro Vision, Cycling Plus and Therakos. If you’re involved in cycling at all you’ll be familiar with two of those names but Therakos might be a mystery. We’d like to say a big thanks to these guys for the vital support they have given to us.

Our exciting period started off with a photo-shoot courtesy of Pro Vision at Custard Photography in Stoke. You’ll see some of the awesome results of Andy Custard’s work are dotted around this post. We are showing off our new Pro Vision kit with great pride – representing ones country is an honour and a privilege and we want to do our selection justice not only by trying our hardest to win but also looking the part when we do it. This is us pulling in our stomachs for as long as possible without breathing...

The team at Stourport. The sun did come out, promise...

Following the photo-shoot, we had one of our regular training sessions at the Stourport circuit. Cycling Plus sent a photographer along – they are publishing an article on one of the leading lights of the team, British, European and World Transplant Cycling champion Ottilie Quince. Look out for the next issue of Cycling Plus because Otts will be all over it. You can’t really miss her – crazy hair and a massive smile. Cycling Plus think she is an inspiration. We agree, particularly after her results at the Herne Hill women’s omnium.

Otts trying really hard no to smile...

Following the Stourport session we all went back to our respective parts of the UK including Darlington, Northern Ireland and Hampshire – all parts north, east, south and west in fact, and got back into racing with our clubs. It’s fair to say the PB’s started tumbling. I felt quite embarrassed that I didn’t PB whilst wearing the new GBTx skinsuit for the first time because everybody else seemed to knock a good chunk off their 10 time! Having said that, I hit 22.23 the week after, 3 seconds better than last year for one of my local 10s, so I was happy enough. There’s loads of people we need to say thank you too – we’ve have great support from both Wolverhampton Wheelers and Wrekinsport cycling clubs whose members have given freely of their time, in particular Dave Perry, Steve Elcocks and Del Jones. Thanks boys.

'Fast' Bob Jolliffe

I’d also like to mention Pete Hudson, cycling psychologist extraordinaire at Cyclotherapy (follow Pete on Twitter @Cyclotherapy) Pete has worked with us to keep our heads on straight. If he can do it with us, he can do it with anyone. Check his website out if it’s your mind as much as your body that stopping you from winning. We do this for a couple of reasons, one because we enjoy it, but also it’s our way of raising awareness of the success of all kinds of transplantation. We figure the cycling community is a tight knit one, generous in giving it’s time and energy to the right causes. Just witness the rain soaked freezing cold marshals and the any amount of guys riding LEJOG for charity. So our plea to you is to have a think about joining the donor register and, if you decide to sign up, let us know about it @GBTxCyclists on Twitter because we’d like to tell the rest of the world about what a hero you are. More before we hit Heathrow…. Thanks. Rich